NPR News: 12-29-2024 10AM EST

Summary

South Korea Declares National Mourning After Deadly Plane Crash

On December 29, 2024, South Korea's government announced a seven-day national mourning period following one of the nation's deadliest aviation disasters. Giles Snyder reported from Washington, detailing the tragic incident involving Jeju Air Flight 123, a Boeing 737-800. The flight was en route from Bangkok, Thailand, when it crashed at Muon International Airport in South Cholla Province, approximately 180 miles from Seoul. Of the 181 passengers and crew aboard, 179 lost their lives, while emergency workers managed to rescue two individuals.

Anthony Kuhn provided a vivid account of the crash scene: “[00:44] Videos shot by eyewitnesses show the airplane skidding fast down the runway on its fuselage, its landing gear still up. It slammed into a concrete fence and exploded into flames.” The aftermath saw firemen and soldiers meticulously searching the wreckage, with authorities confirming that all but the two rescued passengers are presumed dead. Jeju Air's CEO has publicly apologized, and investigations into the crash's cause are ongoing.

Azerbaijan Accuses Russia in Another Deadly Plane Crash

In a separate incident, tensions escalated as Giles Snyder reported that the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, accused Russian officials of initially attempting to obscure the cause of a recent plane crash that resulted in 38 fatalities. Grant President of the BBC relayed Aliyev's statements: “[01:46] Absurd theories had been put forward by official bodies in Russia in the days after the plane crash, as well as sustaining damage to the plane by fire from the ground.”

Aliyev asserted that Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 456 had come under fire over Russian territory, citing evidence of electronic jamming affecting the aircraft's control systems. While he did not explicitly state that Russia shot down the plane, he emphasized the need for a prompt admission and apology. In response, Russian President Vladimir Putin reached out to Aliyev to apologize for the tragic incident but stopped short of admitting any deliberate action on Russia's part.

Croatia's Presidential Election and Americans' Holiday Stress Over Politics

Giles Snyder highlighted the political climate both abroad and domestically. In Croatia, voters headed to the polls for the first round of the presidential election, featuring eight contenders, including the incumbent often likened to Donald Trump. This candidate is known for his outspoken criticism of Western military support for Ukraine, making the election particularly contentious.

Meanwhile, in the United States, nearly 40% of adults expressed stress over potential political discussions during the holiday season. Katie Aridel reported on a recent survey conducted by the American Psychological Association, revealing that most Americans intend to avoid political conversations to maintain holiday harmony. Dr. Vail Wright explained, “[02:57] It's not selfish, and it doesn't mean you don't care about the issues,” addressing misconceptions about avoiding such discussions. Additionally, Emily Trevino noted, “[02:58] You don't care about the issues,” further emphasizing the desire to evade uncomfortable family debates during the holidays.

Severe Storms Sweep Through the United States: Power Outages and Accidents

Severe weather continued to impact the United States as Giles Snyder reported widespread power outages stretching from Texas to North Carolina. The storms, which swept through the region the previous day, caused significant damage to homes and vehicles, with several tornadoes touching down in the Houston area, including near the Brazoria County town of Alvin. Emily Trevino was on the scene, describing the suddenness of the tornado: “[03:38] It really didn't stick around. It was just like so sudden and shocking.”

The tornado outbreak resulted in at least two fatalities and six injuries. Additionally, authorities in Florida are investigating a tragic accident involving a fire truck that was split in two by a high-speed passenger train. Three firefighters remain in stable condition, and a dozen train passengers sustained injuries in the incident.

"House of the Dragon" Tops Piracy Charts in 2024

In entertainment news, Nada Ulaby reported that the HBO prequel series "House of the Dragon" emerged as the most illegally downloaded show of 2024. Despite the decline in torrenting popularity due to the rise of streaming services, pirates continue to use torrent protocols to distribute large files. “House of the Dragon” not only led the piracy charts but was followed by other popular series such as "The Boys," "Shogun," and "Arcane." Ulaby noted the surprising absence of "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" from the top ten most pirated list this year, highlighting shifting trends in viewer preferences and piracy behaviors.

Conclusion

This episode of NPR News Now provided a comprehensive overview of significant global and domestic events, from tragic aviation disasters and geopolitical tensions to political elections, severe weather impacts, and trends in digital piracy. By presenting detailed reports and firsthand accounts, the summary ensures that listeners are fully informed about the pressing issues shaping the world on December 29, 2024.

Transcript

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[Giles Snyder]

In Washington, I'm Giles Snyder. South Korea's government has declared a seven day period of national mourning following the deadly crash of a passenger plane. Officials say all 181 passengers and crew are accounted for. 179 people were killed. Emergency workers were able to pull two people to safety. NPR's Anthony Kuhn reports from Seoul on one of South Korea's worst ever aviation disasters.

[Anthony Kuhn]

Videos shot by eyewitnesses show the airplane skidding fast down the Runway on its fuselage, its landing gear still up. It slammed into a concrete fence and exploded into flames. Firemen and soldiers combed through the wreckage in search of survivors and victims. Authorities say all but the two who were rescued are presumed to have been killed. The Boeing 737, 800 crashed at muon International Airport in South cholla Province, about 180 miles from Seoul. The budget carrier Jeju Air flight was returning from Bangkok, Thailand. Two passengers were Thai nationals, the rest were South Koreans. Jeju Air's CEO publicly apologized for the crash. The cause of the disaster is under investigation. Anthony Kuhn, NPR News, Seoul.

[Giles Snyder]

The president of Azerbaijan is accusing Russian officials of initially trying to cover up the cause of Wednesday's plane crash in which 38 people were killed. Ilham Aliyev said it was clear that the Azerbaijan Airlines flight came under fire over Russian territory. Here's the BBC's Grant President Aliyev said.

[Grant]

Absurd theories had been put forward by official bodies in Russia in the days after the plane crash, as well as sustaining damage to the plane by fire from the ground. He said the pilots had had to deal with electronic jamming of its control systems. Azerbaijan's leader said there was no suggestion that Russia's actions were deliberate, but added that a prompt admission and apology would have been the correct response. On Saturday, Vladimir Putin called President Aliyev to apologize for what he called a tragic incident. He did not explicitly admit that Russia shot down the plane.

[Giles Snyder]

Voters in Croatia going to the polls in the first round of a presidential election today, eight contenders in the running, including the incumbent, who is often compared to Donald Trump. He is an outspoken critic of Western military support for Ukraine. Nearly 40% of adults say they are stressed about the possibility of political discussions coming up this holiday season. NPR's Katie Ariddle reports.

[Katie Aridel]

A recent report shows that most Americans plan to avoid political discussions over the holidays. Dr. Vail Wright is with the American Psychological Association. That's the the group that conducted this survey. She says not talking about hard stuff at these moments is understandable.

[Dr. Vail Wright]

It's not selfish, and it doesn't mean.

[Emily Trevino]

You don't care about the issues.

[Katie Aridel]

Possibly to evade these uncomfortable conversations, nearly 40% of adults said they were avoiding family members. They disagree with this holiday season altogether. Katie Abedel, NPR News.

[Giles Snyder]

And you're listening to NPR News. Tens of thousands of customers remain without power from Texas to North Carolina as severe storms move east today. The storms that swept through the region yesterday damaged homes and flipped vehicles. Several tornadoes were reported to have touched down in the Houston area, including at least one south of the city near the Brazoria county town of Alvin. Emily Trevino was there.

[Emily Trevino]

It really didn't stick around. It was just like so sudden and shocking.

[Giles Snyder]

At least two people were killed in the tornado outbreak and six others injured. Authorities in Florida are investigating a crash involving a fire truck that was split in two by an oncoming high speed passenger train. Authorities say three firefighters are in stable condition and that a dozen train passengers were injured. The television show House of the Dragon was popular this year among pirates. NPR's Nada Ulaby reports. The series was one of the most illegally downloaded in 2024.

[Nada Ulaby]

It was the most illegally torrented show by in 2024. Torrenting is not as widespread as it was before the rise of streaming, but pirates still use the protocol to download and distribute very large files, like ones filled with stories about dragons.

[N/A]

Your family has dragons.

[Nada Ulaby]

House of the Dragon is a prequel to HBO's Game of Thrones. According to the website Torrent Freak, it was the number one pirated show, followed by the series the Boys Shogun and Arcane. It came as something of a surprise. The website said that the series Lord of the the Rings of Power did not even crack the top 10 most pirated list this year. Neta Ulupi, NPR News.

[Giles Snyder]

And I'm Jael Snyder in Washington.

[Dr. Vail Wright]

This message comes from Jackson. Seek clarity in retirement [e-mail] Jackson is short for Jackson Financial, Inc. Jackson National Life Insurance Co. Lansing, Michigan, and Jackson National Life Insurance Co. Of New York Purchase, New York.